Ram operating mechanism for composing machines



Aug. 17, 1954 M. G. STEWART ET AL RAM OPERATING MECHANISM FOR COMPOSING MACHINES 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 29, 1949 7, 1954 M. G. STEWART ETAL 2,686,680

RAM OPERATING MECHANISM FOR COMPOSING MACHINES Filed Oct. 29. 1949 5 $heets-Sheet 2 fnveizfars Jerrz'zz Jfewarz Ceasfer U7. Jrcoma'c 1954 M. G. STEWART ETAL RAM OPERATING MECHANISM FOR COMPOSING MACHINES Filed Oct. 29. 1949 5 Shets-Sheet 3 Aug. 17, 1954 M. e. STEWART ETAL RAM OPERATING MECHANISM FOR COMPOSING MACHINES 5 Sheets-sheaf 4 Filed on. 29. 1949 6 W Zw m gm W J mj Zr 446 I Z 6 %@W a Aug. 17, 1954 M. G. STEWART ETAL 2,686,680

RAM OPERATING MECHANISM FOR COMPOSING MACHINES Filed Oct. 29, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Aug. 17, 1954 RAM OPERATING MECHANISM FOR COMPOSING MACHINES Merritt G. Stewart and Chester A. Macomic, Chicago, 111., assignors, by direct and mesne assignments, to Patent Development Corporation, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application October 29, 1949, Serial No. 124,394

Claims.

Our invention relates to improvements in a ram operating mechanism for composing machines and the like, and has for one object to provide a ram operating mechanism operated under the control of a typewriter carriage for driving the ram which forces together a plurality of character carrying strips, which have been previously loosely assembled by assembling and selecting means controlled by the typewriter, but not forming a part of the present invention.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for adjusting themovement of the ram automatically in consonance with the width of each of the character strips and in consonance with the number of character strips assembled in a line.

It will be understood that the character strips which are to be assembled to form a pattern or a line of characters, carry characters of varying widths and therefore the strips are tapered. They will be longitudinally displaced by means illustrated in co-pending application Serial No. 58,003 filed November 2, 1948, to form a line of selected characters.

As the strips are longitudinally adjusted to bring these characters of varying widths into alignment, the over-all width occupied by any given number of strips varies as a result of the variation in width of the characters in the line.

Assuming a line of standard length, all the letters are wide, a much smaller number of letters can beput in the line than if they are all narrow and the number of strips which may be assembled to form a line of given length will vary in consonance with variation in the roportion of wide which it works in the composition of a single line.

The ram must be positively driven because the character strips must all be squeezed together with the same compression so that the selecting mechanism when it, makes its selection 1 will accurately control not only the width of the line but, the appearance of the line. Therefore,

the movement of the ram must be controlled I with maximum accuracy.

Other objects will, appear from I has to time throughout the course of the specification and claims. I I I ,Our invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical section through our apparatus with parts omitted but illustrating the typewriter and the ram control;

Figure 2 is a section along the line 2-2 of Figure 1; I

Figure 3 is a section along the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a view looking in the direction of the arrows 3-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a section along the line 5-5 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is an enlarged section of the righthand portion of Figure 1;

Figure 7 is a section along the line 'I-l of Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a side elevation, in part section with parts omitted, of Figure 4; I

Figure 9 is a section along the line 9-9 of Figure 6.

Figure 10 is a side elevation of the driving means for the ram control with parts broken away; and

Figure 11 is a section along the line II--II of Figure 10.

Like parts are indicated by like characters throughout the specification and drawings.

I, 2 and 3 indicate cross members of the main frame of our composing machine. That frame is not generally illustrated because to do so would obscure those elements which form a particular part of our invention with respect to which the present application concerns itself. Sufiice it to say that the frame members I, 2 and 3 are tied together by any suitable longitudinal framework and are adapted to be supported thereby on the ground or any other suitable base.

4 is a typewriter having a keyboard and other usual typewriter equipment. 5 is a rack adapted to be longitudinally displaced as a result of and in coordination with the movement of the typewriter carriage. That rack is in mesh with a gear 6 on a shaft I in bearings 8 and 9, the bearing 8 being associated with that part of the structure which supports the typewriter, the bearing 9 being associated with that part of the structure which supports theram. The shaft l ,carries adjacent the bearing 9 a gear it in mesh with a rack I I, the purpose of which will hereinafter appear.

A bracket 12 carried on the frame member I beneath the typewriter 4 carries a pivot pin I3 -to' the axis of rotation of the lever 3i without on which is rotatably mounted a lever I l. i is a handle pivoted on the lever is at the fulcrum Hi, the handle being held against rotation with respect to the lever about the pivot or fulcrum it but free to move vertically. The handle it is tied to one end of the lever M- by a pin is and spring ll which yieldingly forces the V-lolock iii into engagement with one of the notches is on the yoke at which is carried on the frame El which supports the typewriter l. The purpose of this handle is so that the operator set, as will hereinafter appear, the osition of the mech anism to insure that the movement of the rain will correspond to the desired length of line.

22 is the ram frame carried by the frame members 2, 3. 23, E i are ram tracks on the ram frame 22 and 25 is the ram mounted for reciprocation oetween the tracks 25%, 2i and having a contact head 2% adapted to engage one side of an assembly of character strips 2i which are longitudinally movable, to compress them against an abutment 28. 23 is a web extending downwardly from the rain is'below the tracks 23, 2 It carries a link 3.: pivoted on the ram lever 3i, which lever is pivoted at on the ram frame 22.

33 is the ram actuating carriage. It reciprccates sliding hearings t l, 35 on the ram frame 22. Fixed lever 35 rigidly held on the earriage 33 carries a roller 3i engaging a groove 88 in the cylindrical cam 35. The cam 39 is fixed on the shaft as so that as the cam shaft to rotates, carriage 33 is caused to reciprocate.

Extending upwardly from the carriage 33 is a pivot plate at on which is pivotally'mounted a 7 drive adapted to travel in a curved slot i l on a drive block M5 on the lever cl so that when the lever carriage 33 reciprocates, the lever 32 in the slot a l causes rotation of the lever 3i and up and down movement of the roller :23 can change the radius through which the power of the lever is applied to the ram lever 3% about slide is moved up and down, it causesa rotation of the lever 32 and movement of the roller along the sloti'vith the line of movement of the lever carriage The channel lls parallel so that the lever carriage and adjustn'ient lever 32 are'free to move in a direction'perpendicular change in angular position of the lever d2.

Eiis an angle plate on the slide '55. It is opposed to an angle plate 52 mounted on the As the typewriter carriage moves toward the right, rotating the shaft l to drive the rack H, the carriage 66 which carries the rack ii travels along the track 6| carrying with it the pivot pin 82 which travels in the slot 63 on the lever E4.

Thus as the line is written on the "typewriter,

moves upwardly, the pivot pin 62 having been Z previously moved to the left away from the starting position in Figure 4, the lever 5t moves downwardly to depress the slide 45, rock the lever 42 and increase the effective radius through which the thrust of the lever 12 is applied to the lever 3i when the ram lever carriage is reciprocated.

ll? is a spring housing, ll a tension tape extending from that spring housing to the carriage l2 associated with the pin 62. It is to be understood that the pin 82 is, bythe movement of therack H, forced to the left against the tension of the spring H but is free to move to the right when the carriage of the typewriter causes movement of the rack H in the opposite direction. But there is no positive connection between these parts so that the carriage which actuat'es the pin 52 may be withdrawn, leaving the pin in its adjusted position. 7

As the carriage l2 and pivot pin 52 move toward the left and approach the position they are to occupy at the end of a line, the magnet $3 on the carriage Gil approaches themercoid switch M and closes a circuit through the solenoid l5. This causes the solenoid plunger l'i working through the link El on the bell crank lever 33 to rotate the bell crank lever in a counter-clockwise'direction, causing the toe it of the bell crank lever to engage the pin SZand move it forwardly to the end of its desired excursion as set by the V operator by manipulation of the handle l. '89 is sliding'locl; member 53, which member is free to move in a direction at right angles to the direction of movement of the slide :15 and is urged to the ri ht by the spring so that when the slide as moves down the angle member 5! moves down with it and'this permits the member 52 to'move to the right thus locking the slide against upper movement. This lock is released by a latch member 55 onthe lever Stadjusted by means of the screw as and urged to the downward position by means of the springfii. As the an adjusting screw toaccuratel-y set this position. 8! is an adju'sting'screw abutment for the lever (-34. 82 is a contact button on the lever ts which engages the slide E5. a

With reference to Figure 6, note that the lever 5 is made in two parts and slotted to accommodate the sliding block l2 and its pin as. The lever M is supported by the pin 52 which extends through slots in supporting members 83,. 8% positionedjat either side of the lever which are secured to the frame member 22. The c rriage 6G is provided with a lug 85 having an abutment button SE adapted toeng'age the pin 52.

Gnc'e the switch i i has closed the circuit to cause the toe of the bell crank lever 78 to hold the pivot 62 in place, the typewriter carriage may be withdrawnand the operator may resume writthe member 52 to the left thus permitting upward travel of the. slide e5 under the urgeof the spring 18. 1

ing while the machine goes on with its work. As soon as the magnet 73 moves back away from the switch it, the pin 62 remaining in piace,-the

circuit'is open whenthe spring 93 rotatesjthe bell cranl; leverflatch 78 into the inoperative position. At that time, however, there is enough zpressure'cn the system so that the pivot remains 'in place by friction for a sufiic'ient length of time to permit the apparatusto complete'its cy cling, The operator isfree to go on writingivith V the typewriter andmovin'g the carri'ageteloack 7 toward the lefthand position, but normally; Joy

the time she has written a few letters or words, release will have. taken place and the pivot pin 62 on the carriage I2 will go back to the right far enough to meet the abutment 86 on the carriage 60.

With reference to Figure 4, the abutment button 86 on the carriage 60 moves the pivot pin 62 toward the right, whereas the spring ll returns the pivot pin and associated carriage 12 to the left until it engages the abutment 86.

The solenoid l5, bell crank lever I8, switch I4 and adjusting screw 80 are mounted on a support 81 which is slidablymounted on guiding bars 88 supported by brackets 80 on the frame 22. Secured to the support 81 is a bar 90 carrying a roller 9i adapted to engage the forked member 92 carried by the lever I4.

Actuating means for the drive bar 665 are illustrated in Figures 10 and 11. The drive bar is provided at its lower end with an aperture 94 adapted to receive the pin or roller 95 on the lever 96. The lever is mounted on a shaft ill carried by bearings 98 on the main frame 99.

Secured to the shaft is a second lever I having a cam plate IIlI at its free end. In alignment therewith is a roller I02 on a lever I03 which is pivoted as at I04 to a pair of ears I05 on one end of a bell crank lever. I06. The lever I06 is pivoted as at It! on the frame 99 and is secured to a pull bar actuating lever I 08 for the character strips 2?, the details of which are not illustrated since they form no part of the present invention.

I09 is a spring secured at one end to a pin I 10 on the bell crank lever I06 and the other end to a pin Ill on the lever I 03. In one position, illustrated in full lines in Figure 11, the spring retains the roller I02 on the lever I03 in alignment with the cam plate llll, As the pull bar actuating lever is rotated by suitable means counterclockwise to the dotted line position, the roller I92 engages the cam plate NH and rotates the levers I00 and 96 counter-clockwise to the dotted line position, thus moving the drive bar 66 upwardly to actuate the lever 54. Near the end of rotation of the bell crank lever I06, an adjustable contact H2 on a lug H3 integral with the lever Hi3 engages a cam H4 on the frame 99 and rotates said lever to the position indicated in dotted lines in Figure 11, thus moving the roller I02 out of alignment with the cam plate l0! on the lever I00. The spring I09 is thereby moved past the center of the pivot pin I04 and retains the lever in the dotted line position until, at the return movement of. the bell crank I 06, an adjustable contact H5 on a downward projection I IS on the lever I03 engages a cam II1 on the frame 99 and returns the lever I03 to initial or full line position. It will be understoodthat during the return movement of the bell crank, the roller I02 remains out of alignment with the cam plate I 0 I until it has reached a positionbelow said cam plate.

Although we have shown an operative form of our invention, it will be recognized that many changes in the form, shape and arrangement of parts can be made without departing from the spirit of our invention, and our showing is therefore to be taken as, in a sense, diagrammatic.

We claim:

1. In a composing machine, a ram, a ram lever adapted to reciprocate the. ram, drive means for the lever comprising a driving lever movable toward and from the ram lever and means for rocking the driving lever to vary the distance between the point of engagement between the driving lever and the ram lever and the fulcrum of the ram lever.

2. Driving means for the ram of a composing machine including a ram lever, fulcrumed at one end, a link connection between the other end of the lever and the ram, a ram lever actuating carriage, means for moving it along a. path at right angles to the axis of rotation of the ram lever, a drive lever pivoted on the carriage, a guide on the ram lever concentric with the fulcrum of the drive lever, a driving connection between the drive lever and the guide on the ram lever, means for rotating the drive lever to vary the point of contact between the drive lever and the ram lever whereby the distance between the fulcrum of the ram lever and the point of application of the force of the driving lever may be adjusted.

3. In a composing machine, a plurality of Iongitudinaliy movable character bars arranged side by side, a fixed abutment at one side of the group of character bars, a ram adapted to engage the other side of the group in opposition to the fixed abutment and compress the bars side by side against the abutment, means for moving the ram toward and from the abutment, a typewriter having a carriage and means controlled by the typewriter carriage for varying the excursion of the ram.

4. In a composing machine, a longitudinally movable ram, a ram lever pivoted at one end, a connection between the other end of the ram lever and the ram, means for rotating the ram lever, a drive member and means for moving it in a path at right angles to the axis of the lever, a driving lever interposed between the drive them-- her and the ram lever, and means for adjusting the angular position of the driving lever to change the distance between the fulcrum of the lever and the point of application of the force rotating the ram lever.

5. In a composing machine a ram, a ram lever adapted to reciprocate it, means for rocking the ram lever including a carriage movable along a path perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the ram lever, generally parallel with the line of travel of the ram, a driving connection between the carriage and the ram lever including a driving lever pivoted on the carriage, a thrust connection between one end of the driving lever and the ram lever and means for adjustably rotating the riving lever to displace the point of thrust between the ram lever and the drive lever to vary theangular movement of the drive lever in response to unit movement of the carriage.

6. In a composing machine a ram, a ram lever adapted to reciprocate it, means for rocking the ram lever including a carriage means for constraining it to movement along a path perpendicular to theaxis of rotation of the lever, generally parallel with the line of travel of the ram, yielding means for locking the ram lever in the position reached by it at the end of its driving stroke.

7. In a composing machine a ram, a rain lever adapted to reciprocate it, means for rocking the ram lever including a carriage movable along a path perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the ram lever, generally parallel with the line of travel of the ram, a driving connection between the carriage and the ram lever including adriving lever pivoted on the carriage, a thrust connection between one end of the driving lever and the ram lever and means for adjustably rotating 7 the driving lever to displace the point of thrust between the ram lever and the drive lever to vary the angular movement of the drive lever in response to unit movement of the carriage, yielding cans for locking the drive lever in the position reached by it at the end of its driving stroke.

8. In a composing machine including a type writer, a plurality of movable character bars and means controlled by the typewriter for positioning the bars to assemble a line of characters, one character on each bar, a fixed abutment at one end of the line, a ram movable toward and from the group of bars at the other end of the line in opposition to the abutment, a ram lever, a

fixed pivot for one end of the lever, a connection between the other end of the lever and the and means for rotating the ram lever through an angle varying as the length of the line selected by the typewriter varies means for actuating the ram and controlling its excursion including a movable member, a driving lever interposed between the driving lever and the and means for moving the point of contact between the driving lever and the ram lever toward and from the ram lever pivot.

9. In a composing machine including a typewriter, a plurality of movable character bars and means controlled by the typewriter for positioning a plurality of the character bars to form a line of characters, one character on each bar, means for squeezing together the assembled bars, including an abutment and a ram in opposition to one another, with the bars between them, and means for forcing the ram toward the abutment against the type bar through an excursion. the

length of which is controlled by the typewriter.

it. In a composing machine including a typewriter, a plurality of movable character bars and means controlled by the typewriter for positioning a plurality of the character bars to form a line of characters, one character on each bar,

means for squeezing together the assembled bars, including'an abutment and a ram in opposition to one another, with the bars between them, and means for forcing the ram toward the abutment against the type bar through an excursion the length of which is controlled by the typewriter in oonsonance with the length of such line when it is less than a pre-determined length.

11. In a composing machine including a typewriter, a plurality of movable character bars and means controlled by the typewriter for pcsitioning a plurality of the character bars to form a line of characters, one character on each bar, an abutment and a ram in opposition to one another, with the bars between them, and

means for forcing the ram toward the abutment to assemble and compress the character bars in a line of predetermined length and means controlled by the typewriter for causing the ram to squeeze the assembled bars together when the line is less than the predetermined length.

12. In a composing machine, means for longitudinally displacing a plurality of elongated character bars to form a line of characters, means for applying pressure to the bars in a direction perpendicular to their length to squeeze them togethe'r, said means including a ram movable to-' ward and from the bars, andmeans for preadjusting the excursion of the ram pressure isapplied.

, 13,. In acomposing machine, means for positicning a plurality of movable character bars to assemble a line'of characters, one character on each bar, means {or applying lateral pressure before the of the ram whereby the pressure applied to the bars by the ram is independent of the length of the'line, the pro-limiting means including a carriage, a driving connection between it and the and means responsive to the number of characters selected for changing the position of the driving connection,

14. In a composing machine, means for positioning a plurality of movable character bar to assemble a line of characters of preedetermined length, one character on each bar, means operative when the number of bars so assembled is not sufiicient to complete the pro-determined length of line, for applying lateral pressure to the type bars to squeeze the bars together, said means including a ram movable along a path in general alignment with the line of characters and means for pro-limiting the excursion of the ram whereby the pressure applied to the bars by the ram is independent of the length of the line, the pro-limiting means including a carriage, a driving connection between it and the ram and means responsive to the number of characters selected for changing the position of the driving connection. V

15. In a composing machine, including means for selecting a plurality of movable character bars to form a line or" characters, one character on each bar, means for displacing said bars along a path in general parallelism with the line of characters to assemble a line of pro-determined length, said means including a ram movable toward and from the type bars and means for controlling the excursion of the ram to cause it to apply pressure to the bars after the assembly of line when the number or" bars so assembled is not suiiicient to complete the pro-determined length of line, means lor controlling the excursion of the including a lever, a connection between it and the ram, a carriage, a driving connection between it and the lever, ,means for displacing the carriage toward and from the lever and means for varyingthe point of contact of the driving connection withthe lever toward and from the pivot oi the lever.

16. In a composing machine, including means for selecting a plurality of movable character'bars to form a line of characters, one character'on each bar, means for displacing said'bars along a path in general parallelism with the line of characters to assemble a line of pro-determined length, said means including a ram movable toward and from thetype bars and means for controlling the excursion of the ram to cause it to apply pressure to the bars after the assembly of the line when the number of bars so assembled is not sufiicient to complete the pie-determined length of line, and means for pro-limiting such additional excursion of the ram whereby the pres-,

17. In a composing machine including aftypewriter, a plurality of movable character bars and a means controlled'by the typewriter for positionmg the bars to assemble a line of characters, one

character on each bar, a fixed abutment atone endof the line a ram movable toward and from' the group of bars at the other end of the line in opposition to the abutment, a ram lever, a fixed pivot for one end of the ram lever, a connection between the other end of the ram lever and the ram, and means including a driving member connected to the ram lever and means controlled by the typewriter for varying the distance between the fulcrum of the ram lever and the point of connection between the driving means and the ram lever. a

18. In a composing machine including a typewriter, a plurality of movable character bars and means controlled by the typewriter for positioning a plurality of the character bars to form a line of characters, one character on each bar, means for squeezing together the assembled bars, including an abutment and a ram in opposition to one another, with the bars between them, and means for moving the ram toward the abutment through an excursion the length of which is controlled by the typewriter in consonance with the length of such line when it is less than a predetermined length, means controlled by the operator independent of the typewriter for controlling the length of line which can be selected by the typewriter, means for actuating the ram and controlling its excursion including a movable member, a driving lever interposed between the driving lever and the ram and means for moving the point of contact between the driving lever and the ram lever toward and from the ram lever pivot.

19. In a composing machine including a typewriter, a plurality of movable character bars and means controlled by the typewriter for positioning a plurality of the character bars to form a line of characters, one character on each bar, an abutment and a ram in opposition to one another, with the bars between them, and means for moving the ram toward the abutment to assemble the character barsin a line of predetermined length and means controlled by the typewriter for causing the ram to squeeze the assembled bars together when the line is less than the predetermined length, means controlled by the operator independent of the typewriter for controlling the length of line which can be selected by the typewriter, means for actuating the ram and controlling its excursion including a movable member, a driving lever interposed between the driving lever and the ram and means for moving the point of contact between the driving lever and the ram lever toward and from the ram lever pivot.

20. In a composing machine, including means for selecting a plurality of movable character bars to form a line of characters, one character on each bar, means for displacing said bars along a path in general parallelism with the line of characters to assemble a line of pre-cletermined length, said means including a ram movable toward and from the type bars and means for controlling the excursion of the ram to cause it to apply pressure to the bars after the assembly of the line when the number of bars so assembled is not sufiicient to complete the pie-determined length of line, means independent of the bar selecting means for establishing the length of line which can be selected.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 313,224 Mergenthaler Mar. 3, 1885 1,124,180 Sperry Jan. 5, 1915 1,182,743 Bolles May 9, 1916 1,266,969 Marlatt May 21, 1918 1,366,579 Marlatt Jan. 25, 1921 2,092,220 Mead Sept. 7, 1937 2,153,283 Stein Apr. 4, 1939 2,243,875 Macomic June 3, 1941 

